25 Tips for Your First Solo Trip to Italy

Female solo travel is always fun. We feel more individualistic and happy when travelling alone. It is when we exercise the beauty within us and of the world full-fledged. In this article, I like to talk about one such happiest travel in my life—my solo travel to Italy.

My solo trip to Italy was enchanting and exciting. I got bewitched by the awe-striking architecture and art of Italy. If there is any precise saying that defines my solo travel experience in Italy, that would be “Everything new is beautiful.”  

Yep! Every tourist spot, restaurant, island, and beach you visit in Italy will be a feast for your eyes. They are unique in their own way. And, when you are travelling as a solo traveller in Italy, everything looks more new to you.

That’s how I really felt on my first solo travel to Italy. You could have seen the pictures of the Pica tower, the ancient roman forum, the famous coliseum, and many other attractions online plenty of times, but when you see them with your real eyes, it is a whole new experience.

You are present in the moment and what you see is lively and real. As the proverb goes, everything is new and beautiful in Italy. Visiting Italy is not just enough. You have to plan and prepare to capture the beauty of Italy thoroughly.

Let me quickly give you few tips before you plan your first solo trip to Italy. 

1. Reserve up and down tickets

My first tip on your solo travel to Italy is to reserve your tickets. Reserve tickets for your return journey as well. In that way, your whole journey is planned. You will have a clear map of what and when to visit during your time in Italy.

I believe this tip is the most basic and must be your top priority in all your solo travel plan.

2. Connect with your bank

Yes, the unwritten rule before your solo travel to Italy is to check with your bank and inform them about your international travel. Why do you have to do it? If you don’t want your credit card to betray you at the last minute, make a call to your bank. I am dead serious, guys. Don’t slip into any embarrassing situation. 

Italian ATMs have good exchange offers, but if your bank is uninformed about it, you cannot use the benefit from their ATM. So, contacting your bank before the travel is mandatory.

3. Pre-book tickets 

Yeah! Pre-booking your return tickets alone is not enough. The best preparation for Italy resides in planning and booking tickets to the places you like to visit. Many sites like the Vatican City Chapel, The Colosseum, Museum have pre-booking facilities.

I didn’t know this during my trip. I got held up with the enormous crowd lined outside the ticket counter. And sadly, I couldn’t visit many places as planned. If you do not want to face disappointment, plan ahead your tour destinations. Check their visiting hours. Book your slot if pre-booking is available.

4. Stay at 24 hrs hostel 

It is essential to stay at a comfortable and safe place during your solo travel to Italy. Finding suitable accommodation is a mind exploding task. However, if you plan before, it becomes easy-peasy.

I suggest you find a 24 hours front desk hostel. Nowadays hostels offer private rooms equipped with all facilities. Nothing more suits your comfort than a 24 hr hostel. In that way, you can save a lot of time and use it to visit many other tourist spots.

Click here for hostels at a lower price in Italy.

5. Plan your budget

Saving money on the trip is the ultimate goal of every traveller. Sometimes, even when we plan, things happen to exceed our intention. Equally important as planning is executing the plan.

• If you book tickets before three months you can save money on tickets.
• Keep your credit cards for emergency purposes only.
• If you are booking tickets for tourist spots online, use coupons and discounts.
• Relish the Italian cuisine in local restaurants. They are amazing. Don’t opt for cosy places in the first place.

6. Carry less enjoy more

I hope there is no need on my part to explain why to carry less. We all must have gone through this burden on our solo trips. Carrying a lot of items during the travel is a real mess! I know it is hard to narrow down your backpack because every item means lifesaving and indispensable.

But, you have to reduce your items to have a stress-free journey. Adding to it, you will be doing a lot of travelling in Italy. Most of the tourist spots are not nearby. Amidst this busy moment, you cannot pay special attention to your baggage. So, keep it less and happy!

7. Join a cruise

The trip to Italy is incomplete without taking a cruise. Trust me, ladies. It was one of the best experiences I have ever had! If you don’t have a cruise on your list yet, you are seriously missing out on Italy’s lesser-known gems. 

Choosing the right cruise liner also adds up to the beautiful experience. I joined a cruise from Ravenna to Venice. The snapshots of my cruise travel are all serene and alluring beauties of Italy, such as grand churches, abandoned mosaics, and majestic seaports.

8. Trusting the locals and making friends

Taking a trip to an unfamiliar place with the hope of trusting the locals is not easy as it sounds. 

However, in my experience as a solo female traveller, what I learned is that even when you fall apart from trust, hold on. That’s when you get to meet genuine people in life.

Sometimes, it’s okay to trust strangers. If I am not wrong, you will meet the most trustworthy and genuine people in your life when doing it.

So, trust people, make friends and enjoy your time in Italy.

9. Safety 

Now that I have talked about trust. It’s time to talk about safety. I know, right! Safety comes before everything. And being a solo female traveller, taking measures for safety is a healthy and wise decision.

But, if you ask me whether Italy is safe for solo female travels? Yes, Italy is safe for solo travels. Although, I cannot deny that some Italian men could stare at you and try a few pick-up lines! 

Is it even going to bother you, ladies? Face those situations with swag and be the boss of your journey.

Nevertheless, make sure to install all the essential safety apps. Keep yourself informed about your surroundings. You are also responsible for your belongings. 

10. Couchsurfing in Italy

Couchsurfing is one activity you can’t miss out on in Italy. You get to meet people from different locations and cultures while Couchsurfing. You can also go around the city with them.

While you are into Couchsurfing, remember what I said earlier, Italian men are known for hitting on foreign women. Some of them take Couchsurfing to their advantage. Be careful of your host. 

In my experience, I have seen many men hosting only for women travellers. If you don’t want to drag unwanted attention, go through the profile of your host. Check for positive and negatives reviews. 

Also, read the coach description in detail to know if it’s a shared sleeping surface or an individual sleeping surface.

11. Footwear

Shoes are the best option for travelling. If you have trekking activity on your itinerary, don’t forget to carry shoes suitable for stubborn locations. I guess sneakers are good for mountain roads. And, don’t wear your shoes tight. Let them be as comfy as possible. You cannot walk on tight shoes an entire day.

12. Taste pizza

It is very unlikely to meet a person who leaves Italy without tasting their delicious cuisine. Particularly the Italian signature food! Pizzas. Don’t miss out on them. Taste as many flavours as you can while you are in Italy. 

13. Say ‘No’ to wine

Italy is not only famous for pizzas, but they are popular for wine as well. I have not tried their wine, yet I have seen people getting too drunk, passing out the next day. They regret their action later as their whole day of sightseeing plan is ruined.

14. Use public transport

Public transport is affordable and punctual in Italy. Only in unavoidable cases opt for rental cars. Rentals cars are better comparing to private taxis.

15. Tourist scams

Beware of tourist scams. As a solo traveller, you must be well aware of tourist scams. And, yes! Tourist spams are common in Italy also.

Now, with all things online. You can be your own guide. You can manage alone. Even if you look for a guide, do a background check on them. If a traveller like you guarantees someone, it is trustworthy and good. You can also make use of the “Airbnb Experience” for hiring a knowledgeable guide. 

16. Watch out for sidewalks

There are many reasons why Italian sidewalks are damaged and unstable. We encounter this issue in almost all countries. You cannot expect everything to be perfect.

I did not give much thought to Italian sidewalks because Italy is an ancient country. What I love about them is their antiquated structure. If we have to preserve the glorious ancient outlook, small disturbances like the unseemly sidewalks come with it. Anyways, as a solo traveller in Italy, you must consider this while walking on the streets.

17. Learn the local language

The local language of Italy is Italian. Learning their language does not come overnight. Therefore, keep learning a phrase or two a day. Learning their language will stimulate your confidence besides helping you to connect with locals.

Your fluency also helps you in conversing with local chauffeurs, shopkeepers, and waiters. It will hype up your travel excitement in Italy.

18. Connect with locals

Connecting with the locals is a lovely experience for travellers. Let me tell you a few ways to connect with locals.

• Don’t fail to impress them with your Italian dialect.
• Be polite towards them.
• Show them that you are cheerful to meet them.

Further, you can use meetup.com and Facebook events to meet the locals.

19. Keep a separate journal

It will be the crime of the century if you don’t keep the record of your cherishing and sometimes awful experience. Make it a practice to keep a separate journal for all the places you visit as a solo traveller.

20. Think big and experience big

You have come this far as a solo female traveller. Don’t let anything stop you from continuing your adventure. Challenge yourself. Always think and experience big.

Italy, for one place, has a lot of discrete events like wine tasting clubs, cooking classes, local museum tours, tea clubs, and so many interesting ways to spend your quality time joyfully.

I went on a guided tour to the nearby volcanic mountain on an island called Aeolian. We went on a private boat. Staying on the water, we witnessed volcanic eruptions. It was as thrilling as it sounds!

21. Be firm

Be firm in your decision. Don’t hesitate to follow your intuition. Trusting your intuition is a significant quality you must learn to develop as a solo female traveller.

Know that you are in a place packed with people like people in your home country. Humans and human instincts are the same everywhere, even though you may find dissimilarities in the form of language and culture. So, be firm and always wear the mask of confidence. 

22. Get familiar with their interesting history

Every country has a story of its own. So does Italy. I suggest you familiarize yourself with their history because Italy is known for its art and architecture. The tourist places you visit are most likely historic and have a tremendous story to them.

If you love history, Italy will be more attractive to you. 

23. You are the photographer

The greatest discomfort in solo travelling in Italy is being your own photographer. I mean it. You are walking through the streets of eye-catching buildings, towers, lakes, beaches. You cannot always depend on other people to take pictures of you. 

But how can you pass these places without taking any pictures at all? Be prepared and pack all the necessary equipment like a selfie stick or wireless stick with you. Take your own photos. Let them seal your memory of Italy.

24. Medicine

Don’t let allergies or motion sickness ruin your trip. Carry your medications with you all time, especially when you are trekking. Stay hydrated to avoid any such incidents. 

25. Get Lost

Getting lost in Italy is quite adventurous. If you are lucky, you may encounter the untouched beauties of Italy on your way back. If not, no worries—Italian streets and buildings never fail to grasp your attention.

For further more details on planning for solo travel and buying cheap souvenirs, click here. 

So that’s all about how you need to prepare for your first solo trip to Italy. I really hope this list comes in handy at the right time. However, the most important tip to keep in mind is not to be overly conscious all the time. Stay calm and relax—everything will be alright!